The claimed invention relates to thermal and performance issues in electrical systems and, more particularly, to throttling electrical systems when certain limits are reached.
Some electrical systems may employ throttling to keep the systems within acceptable operating parameters. Throttling typically involves reducing the voltage and/or frequency to portions of the system (e.g., a processor) to reduce heat generation and/or electrical power usage. Other forms of throttling also exist, such as digital throttling (e.g., issue rate control, etc.). Electrical power sensors may be used to measure voltage and/or current at certain portions of the system and to trigger throttling when the voltage and/or current exceed certain limits. Electrical power sensors, however, typically cannot directly control system temperatures, such as the temperature of a processor in the system.
Thermal sensors may be used to measure heat at certain portions of the system and to trigger throttling when the system becomes too hot. Thermal sensors, however, typically cannot control operation of the system within electrical power specifications.
Electrical and thermal systems typically may employ different technologies and may have different costs.